Zoos: GEICO and AZA Bring Live Gecko Exhibit to the Phoenix Zoo Starting January 16 Blooloop

First 100 Children to Arrive on Opening Day Win Free Passes

GEICO’s traveling Gecko Exhibit will be coming to the Phoenix Zoo on Saturday, January 16 to raise awareness about wildlife conservation. To celebrate the first stop of 2010, GEICO will be giving away free passes to the first 100 children who arrive at the Zoo on opening day.

The exhibit, which features giant day geckos, one of the largest of all geckos, is part of a three-year partnership between GEICO and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Through the partnership, the geckos have traveled around the country to AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, helping children understand the importance of preserving our environment.

“This partnership has proven to be a fabulous opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of animal and wildlife conservation, ” said Rynthia Rost, vice president of GEICO. “We know that this will be another successful year for the exhibit.”

The Phoenix Zoo, voted one of the top five best zoos for children, will be showcasing the gecko exhibit from January 16 through February 28. The GEICO Gecko costume character will also appear at the Zoo on select weekends throughout the nearly two month stay. A schedule of the Zoo’s hours and events can be found on the Zoo’s Web site at www.phoenixzoo.org.

“Our goal with this exhibit is to show families that raising this kind of awareness can be both fun and entertaining, ” said Bert Castro, President and CEO of the Phoenix Zoo. “We’ve got a great exhibit for people who are able to join us during January and February.”

While the Phoenix Zoo marks the first stop on the exhibit’s final traveling year, there are many new and unique locations that the gecko will appear at throughout 2010. After Phoenix, the tour will continue to San Francisco to visit the Aquarium of the Bay.

“By traveling to many different zoo and aquarium locations, we’ve been able to reach out to so many people, ” said Jim Maddy, AZA President and CEO. “We’ve already made an impact on the lives of many children who might not otherwise know about the importance of saving our environment, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of 2010.”

About GEICO

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) – as part of Berkshire Hathaway – is the third-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States*. GEICO provides auto insurance coverage for 9 million policyholders and insures more than 16 million vehicles.